A handpicked selection of books and essays to inspire your walk, deepen your connection to the Camino, and enrich your journey before and after the trail.
SPAIN
A Million Steps by Kurt Koontz
The Pilgrimage Road to Santiago: A Cultural Handbook by Gitlitz and Davidson
Following the Milky Way by Elyn Aviva
The Age of Pilgrimage by Jonathan Sumption
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
Iberia by James Michener
The Road to Santiago by Walter Starkie
El Camino: Walking to Santiago de Compostela by Lee Hoinachi
The Artist’s Journey by Maria Shaver
FRANCE
The Fire and the Light: A tale of the Cathars and the lost teachings of Christ. An epic novel of crusading fanaticism, courtly romance, and esoteric mystery set during the infamous Albigensian Crusade. Readers with a passion for well researched historical fiction will enjoy this book. For more information on The Fire and the Light and the Cathars, watch his book trailer at glencraney.com Order directly from
Glen at this same website.
The Yellow Cross: The Story of the Last Cathars (1290 – 1329) René Weis. Set in the 13th century, a group of heretics in southwest France, the Cathars, became a serious threat to the Catholic church. During this time, thousands of Cathars were killed. Yet so ardent was their faith that, early in the next century, the Cathars rose one last time. One of the most vividly documented fragments of medieval life concerning the late Cathar community in south-west France.
The Albigensian Crusade Jonathan Sumption The book explains the chain of events since the advent of the Cathars into Southern France to the creation of the Inquisition and the annexation of Toulouse into the French crown.
France on Foot Bruce LeFavour A handsome and terrifically useful guide for anyone
considering seeing France on foot. France has 110,000 miles of well-maintained walking paths that cross both public and private lands and a detailed system of walking maps for navigating them.
Little Saint by Hannah Green *Set in Conques and along the ancient Chemin de Saint Jacques in southern France. Hannah Green and her artist husband Jack were drawn to Conques, in south-central France, when they heard about the route of Notre Dame du Puy, one of the four pilgrimage routes that cross France to Santiago de Compostella. In the valley is the Plô, the healing spring praised in the twelfth century ‘Guide for the Pilgrim to Saint James of Compostelle’, and the village of Conques, housing the relics of a 12-year-old-girl who was martyred for her faith in the year 303. Travel with Hannah and Jack as they walk from Le Puy en Velay to Conques, where they lived for several years.
The Good Life France articles about Spanish Steps in the Cathar region, on The Chemin de St Jacques and the Chartres Laybrinth.